Much of the world has taken on the responsibility of creating an equal place for all minorities and continues to work towards those goals, but one minority has been pushed to the side and left in the dust. Left handed people are stuck in a right handed world, and it’s made their odds of death much higher.

Studies have shown that the chance of left handers living into old age is significantly lower than right handers. Righties are likely to live nine more years than their opposites. Lefties are living in a righty world–most machinery, tools, and devices have been made for right handed people. This makes lefties more susceptible to misuse. They are six times more likely to get into a car crash. In America, since cars drive on the right side of the road, lefties tend to swerve into oncoming traffic rather than out of harm’s way when faced with a possible collision. If you’re a left handed construction worker your chances of old age are even lower. Misuse of things like power cranes, forklifts and bulldozers are often fatal.

Think lefties are crazy? Well, you might be right. Clyde Francks, a researcher at Oxford University has been studying the gene LRRTM1 which is closely associated with left handedness and the increased chances of mental illness. Although the world is only 10% left handed, 20% of schizophrenics are lefties. Simply explained, the left side of the body controls the right side of the brain, and the right side of the body controls the left side of the brain. We know that schizophrenia is caused by the confusion between the two halves of the brain. The body can’t decide which side should handle which function. So it is easy to see the connection to lefties living in a righthand world. Left handedness has also been linked to disorders like dyslexia, ADD and multiple mood disorders.

As the odds look low for those of the left side, we can still look back at the many things accomplished by fellow southpaws. If you or someone you know is left handed, don’t lose all hope! People like Mozart, Mark Twain, Oprah Winfrey, and many more have made successful careers living as lefties.